About Legal Clinical Learning
Community Legal Aid (CLA) (General Program)
Clinic Practice Program Application Form
Academic Program
Full-time placement: 8 - 11 credits
Part-time placement: 4 - 7 credits
University of Windsor Law students can enroll at CLA for course credit during the fall and winter academic terms. The CLA academic Prctice Program awards course credits to 2L and 3L law students who will engage in work as Caseworkers at CLA. As an Practice Program student in the CLA General Program, students assigned to a group to work weekly with groups of volunteers, but unlike volunteers, Practice Program students perform the role of both a Caseworker and Senior Caseworker on their own case load.
Credits
- Full time in the fall or winter terms: students choose to take on practice hours at CLA for between 8-11 credits in one academic term. Each credit equals 3 hours of work at the clinic. For example, 8 credits = 24 hours of work at the clinic per week.
- Part time in both the fall and winter terms: students choose to take on practice hours at CLA for between 4-7 credits in one or both academic terms. Each credit equals 3 hours of work at the clinic. For example, 4 credits = 12 hours of work at the clinic per week.
- Both full-time and part-time Practice Program students must take the 3-credit Clinic Seminar course concurrently with their clinic practice hours.
Students must complete 3 self-evaluations and review them with the Academic Clinic Professor. The evaluations allow students to reflect on their performance as advocates, development of professional skills and knowledge, and application of the Rules of Professional Conduct. The evaluations are meant to supplement the ongoing mentorship and supervisory relationship with the supervising lawyers.
Questions about the program? Email Professor Rogin at roginjl@uwindsor.ca
Interested in applying for a volunteer position at Community Legal Aid? Visit the CLA website.
Clinic Practice Program Student Manual
More about the Clinic
Located in downtown Windsor, CLA is a SLASS legal clinic offering services to university undergraduate students and members of the Windsor-Essex community living on low income. Under the close supervision of Review Counsel, law students provide client services from the initial intake to the resolution of the matter. This includes interviewing, correspondence, and negotiation with opposing parties, drafting applications, analysis of disclosure documentation, preparation of legal arguments, client management, and representation before the Criminal and Provincial Offences Courts, Small Claims Court, and the Landlord and Tenant Board. Our criminal law areas of practice include intimate partner assault and representation of clients in Mental Health Court. We assist in small estates and wills. We also provide summary advice in Family Law. We provide summary advice and public legal education workshops. For more information about CLA, visit their website.
Legal Assistance of Windsor (LAW)
(General Program: Housing Law, Social Benefits Law, and Immigration Program)
Academic Program
Full-time placement: 8 - 11 credits
Part-time placement: 4 - 7 credits
University of Windsor 2L and 3L law students can enroll at LAW for course credit during the fall and/or winter academic terms.
Credits
- Full time in the fall or winter terms: Students choose to take LAW Practice Program hours for between 8-11 credits in one academic term. Each credit equals 3 hours of work at the clinic. For example, 8 credits = 24 hours of work at the clinic per week.
- Part time in both the fall and winter terms: Students choose to take LAW Practice Program hours for between 4-7 credits in one or both academic terms. Each credit equals 3 hours of work at the clinic. For example, 4 credits = 12 hours of work at the clinic per week for both the fall and winter academic terms. (Note that part-time positions at LAW are generally not available. Students are only able to enrol on a part-time basis in exceptional circumstances.)
- Students in both the part-time and the full-time program must also enroll in the 3-credit Clinic Seminar Course.
Students must complete 3 self-evaluations and review them with the Academic Clinic Professor. The evaluations allow students to reflect on their performance as advocates, development of professional skills and knowledge and application of the Rules of Professional Conduct. The evaluations are meant to supplement the ongoing mentorship and supervisory relationship with the supervising lawyers. Students are enrolled in the Clinic Seminar Course during the term the student participates at the clinic.
Questions about the program? Email Professor Rogin at roginjl@uwindsor.ca
Clinic Practice Program Student Manual
More about the Clinic
Located in downtown Windsor, LAW is a community legal clinic offering services to members of the Windsor-Essex community living on low income. Students work in a multidisciplinary model with social workers and lawyers. Under the supervision of Staff Lawyers, law students conduct file work from the initial intake to the resolution of the matter. This includes correspondence and negotiation with opposing parties, explaining, and drafting applications with clients, analysis of medical documentation, preparation of legal arguments and representation before the Social Benefits Tribunal or the Landlord and Tenant Board. Students can also be involved in systemic advocacy through community outreach and law reform initiatives in the areas of social assistance reform, income security, human trafficking, and landlord/tenant. For more information about LAW, visit their website.
Community Legal Assistance Sarnia (CLAS)
Clinic Practice Program Application Form
Academic Program
Full time ONLY: 8 – 11 creditsUniversity of Windsor Law students can enroll at CLAS for course credit during the fall or winter academic terms. Students work full-time over one term at Community Legal Assistance Sarnia (CLAS) located in Sarnia, Ontario. Students interested in this program are often from the Sarnia community or hope to work there in future. Students must provide their own transportation
Credits
- Full time in the fall or winter terms – you would choose to take CLAS for between 8-11 credits in one academic term. Each credit equals 3 hours of work at the clinic. For example, 8 credits = 24 hours of work at the clinic per week. Students must complete 3 self-evaluations and review them with the Academic Clinic Professor. The evaluations allow students to reflect on their performance as advocates, development of professional skills and knowledge and application of the Rules of Professional Conduct. The evaluations are meant to supplement the ongoing mentorship and supervisory relationship with the supervising lawyers. Students must also enroll in the 3-credit Clinic Seminar Course during the term the student participates at the clinic.
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Students must attend a weekly 3-credit Clinic Seminar class in Windsor.
Questions about the program? Email Professor Rogin at roginjl@uwindsor.ca
Clinic Practice Program Student Manual
More about the Clinic
Located in Sarnia, CLAS is a community legal clinic that provides legal assistance to low income residents of Sarnia and Lambton County. Students work in a variety of areas of law including: housing law for tenants, Ontario Works, Ontario Disability Support Program, Canada Pension Plan, Employment law, Human Rights and Criminal Injury Compensation, access to health and community care. For more information about CLAS, visit their Facebook page.
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: Community Legal Aid “CLA” Volunteers for Winter 2025 Term
Community Legal Aid is now recruiting 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year law students to apply to volunteer for the Winter 2025 term! This is an exciting opportunity for you to work directly with live clients who require legal assistance on various matters. You will be working with your peers, under the close supervision of Review Counsel in all our practice areas. Students can also volunteer in our systemic advocacy group preparing and presenting Public Legal Education workshops and systemic advocacy research projects or as Intake Workers. CLA is a Student Legal Service Organization (“SLSO”) providing free legal advice and representation for University of Windsor undergraduate students and low-income residents of Windsor and Essex County. We are located at #200 - 443 Ouellette in downtown Windsor. There is a direct bus route to the university. Travel time is usually 15 minutes by bus and 10 minutes by car.
CLA maintains a strict attendance policy to preserve our client’s legal interests. If a volunteer misses more than two (2) scheduled group meetings, they are subject to removal from the clinic. Our volunteers attend a mandatory two (2) hour group meeting once a week and devote 7 to 10 hours, as needed each week to their client files. Please find a full description of senior caseworker responsibilities on our website. Please find a full description of caseworker responsibilities is available on our website.
Intake Worker:
CLA intake workers are the first point of contact for clients facing challenging legal issues. You will conduct thorough interviews to gather essential information, identify key legal issues, handle sensitive data with professionalism and confidentiality. Intake workers develop strong active listening and communication skills and learn to prioritize tasks under pressure. They work collaboratively with legal staff and external resources to provide support and referrals.
Please check out our CLA website for more information about the clinic.
If you are interested in applying, please complete the application form. (Released in the week of Dec. 9, 2024.
Please select all the group times that you are available for. Make sure that you allow for travel time to the clinic and please do not choose group times if you are waitlisted for a course for the same time. We are unable to accommodate any schedule changes once you are assigned to a group time.
DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR ALL POSTIONS IS Friday December 13, 2024 by 4:00 PM.
The Volunteer Commitment
- Attending a weekly group meeting for 2 hours every week in person at the clinic.
- Attendance is mandatory and you will be expected to return to the clinic at other times during the week to fulfill the 7 to 10 hours that are required for CLA volunteers.
- Ensuring that you are able to attend the weekly group meeting on time, and you have considered the requisite travel time to and from classes in making this choice.
- You will be placed in one group and that group will meet every week at the same time.
- If this is the first time you have been accepted as Senior Casewoker or Caseworker, you will be required to attend orientation training.
- Mandatory attendance is required for the SCW Orientation which may require students to miss their group time.
- Students will be removed from clinic if they miss more than two (2) group times. If removed, their time at CLA will not qualify as completed clinic experience.
Select Student Opportunities on the CLA website and the LAW website for information.
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LAW Winter 2025 appplications are now open!
Please visit Symplicity to gain more information on the application procedure.
- You are asked to upload, in one PDF document, the following:
- A cover letter describing why you would like to be selected. Provide highlights of your learning, experiences, and goals that would contribute to a placement;
- Your resume; and
- Your transcript (an unofficial transcript will suffice).
Please review the Clinic Practice Program Student Manual in preparation for your interview.
Are you looking for practical legal experience?
Do you need experience that will set you apart from other applicants during second year OCIs and the Articling recruit?
Interested in working with real life clients and giving back to the Windsor community?
Apply for one of 10 summer positions and the fall and winter Group Leader role at Community Legal Aid (“CLA”).
About Us:
For over 50 years, CLA has been dedicated to serving low-income residents and UWin undergraduate students by providing legal advice and representation. Our areas of practice include criminal law – summary conviction, highway traffic, provincial offences, mental health court, small claims, landlord and tenant matters, consumer protection, employment standards, wrongful dismissal, academic integrity, estate and limited family law summary advice matters.
What You’ll Do:
You will have the unique and rewarding opportunity to handle the day-to-day aspects of legal cases. This includes direct interaction with clients, conducting research, and communicating with opposing counsel and parties. You will gain invaluable experience, in oral and written advocacy, representing clients in court proceedings at the Ontario Court of Justice, Landlord and Tenant Board hearings and Small Claims Court trials. Moreover, you will develop negotiation skills through engagement in resolution and settlement discussions.
Following the summer term, you will transition to the role of Group Leader for the fall and winter terms. As a Group Leader, you will lead a group of volunteer caseworkers and senior caseworkers, further refining your professional identity in a critical leadership role at CLA. You will develop highly sought after skills in management, mentorship, organization, team building, conflict resolution and time management under the guidance of experienced Review Counsel.
Apply Now:
If you are ready to develop your legal skills in a practical, hands-on clinic and make a meaningful impact on the Windsor community, we encourage you to apply. Do not miss this opportunity to gain invaluable experience and set yourself apart in your legal career.
The application will go live on February 16, 2024 at 9:00AM and close on March 1, 2024 at 4:00PM.
You can apply here.
If you have any questions, please contact us at cla@uwindsor.ca.
LAW is hiring 12 law students for hands-on casework during the summer and 2 social work students.
Gain litigation and advocacy experience in a social justice clinic while contributing to our community.
Applications are due March 8th, 2024. Interviews will be held during week of March 18th, 2024. Start date: May 6th, 2024.
To learn more, click here.
To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to: jade.wallace@law.clcj.ca.
To learn more about LAW please visit their website: www.legalassistanceofwindsor.com
